Varian 500-MS Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer

Service Detail from ANALYZE Inc.

Ionization can be done by both electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure ionization (APCI) to generate either positive or negative ions which are then separated on the basis of their mass to charge ratio. The mass range is 50-2000 amu with a resolution of <0.5 amu FWHM over the entire mass range.

The MS-500 mass spectrometer is used for the identification of many compounds; including the following classes:

Oligomers, polypeptides

Polymer additives

Surfactants

Organic salts

Thermally labile organic molecules

In practice, the first step is to analyze the unknown with direct infusion and decide whether ESI or APCI is an appropriate ionization mode and which ion polarity to mass analyze. Subsequently, the experimental parameters can be optimized to provide the best S/N for the experiment.

For example, antioxidants used to protect polymers from thermal oxidative degradation can be readily analyzed by APCI-MS.

The MS/MS spectrum is often used to provide additional structural information and confirm the compound identity. The use of liquid chromatography (LC) to separate the analyte from the other component of the matrix components prior to ionization and selection of prominent ions in the MS/MS spectra can provide very low limits of quantitation (50-250 pg on column) and excellent linearity of ion abundance with concentration for hindered phenol antioxidants like I-1010.

Emulsifiers are used in many commercial and consumer products.

ANALYZE has also acquired Advanced Chemistry Development/MS software to help manage the voluminous mass spectral data output and aid interpretation of unknown compounds.